New Delhi: Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani said the conglomerate’s return on assets (ROA) rose to 16.5 per cent in the financial year 2024-25 -- placing it among the top performers in the global infrastructure sector. Speaking at the Group’s annual Shantilal Adani Lecture Series, Adani attributed the performance to disciplined growth and efficient capital deployment.

“This figure demonstrates that our growth is profitable, our assets are productive, and our capital is working with precision,” he said.

The Group’s net debt-to-EBITDA ratio stood at 2.6x, reflecting a conservative leverage profile. With robust internal cash flows, Adani said the company expects to self-fund a large share of its $100 billion five-year capex plan, reducing reliance on external markets.

“This high ROA does more than generate cash. It fortifies our credibility with lenders, deepens investor confidence, and underpins our ability to take bold bets while preserving balance sheet integrity. It is the invisible scaffolding that supports everything we build,” he said.

Citing a $500 billion opportunity in India’s electricity sector by 2032, Adani said the Group is targeting a 20 per cent share of that market. Looking ahead, Adani outlined a ‘Two-Track Organization’ model as part of the Group’s next transformation phase, combining artificial intelligence with human judgment.

“The Agentic Track will bring data-driven precision, while the Human Track will guide it with judgment and ethics,” he said. He also highlighted finance transformation initiatives such as the Finance Control Tower - a real-time visibility platform - and a Global Capability Center that integrates AI-led workflows for greater efficiency. “Finance is no longer a back-office function. It is the cockpit of strategic control - where foresight meets discipline,” Adani said.